EU Aims to Tear Down Online Barriers, Curb Web Giants

The European Union is gearing up to tear down digital barriers that block access to Internet-based services across the bloc with a series of measures and an e-commerce antitrust probe just weeks after it accused Google Inc. of abusing its market power.

The European Commission promised to deliver on 16 proposals by the end of 2016 that will combat online barriers that thwart EU shoppers from using websites outside their home country and will examine whether extra regulation is needed to curb Web companies’ market power. The plans will affect everyone from room-sharing website Airbnb Inc. to e-commerce and search companies like Amazon.com Inc. and Google.